Shade roller



Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS w. HOLT AND JOHN LEVAN, OF. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIeNoRs ro THECUR- TAI'N SUPPLY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION orILLINOIS.

i sIIADE ROLLER.

Application filed September 11, 1922. Serial N 0. 587,298.

Our invention has to do particularly with the provision, in metal shaderollers, for adapting the same readily to window open ings of varyingwidth, for the utilization of standards in manufacture, for efiecting asecure noiseless mounting of the shade axle within the roller, for easeof assembly and dis-assembly of the roller and shade; to gether withother. advantageous novelfeatures which will be apparent fromthefollowing more detailed description of the in vention as predicatedupon exemplary embodiments of the same illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing wherein Fig. l'is a side elevation of a roller embodying oneform of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through one end of Fig. 1 taken on theline 2 2;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through another embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. i is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of either Fig. 1 or Fig. 3;and v Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

As distinguished from wooden shaderollers which can be readily .cut toany length by the purchaser, metal shade rollers are difiicult ofadaptation to window openings of varying width by cutting to shorterlength. Closure caps for the open ends of metal rollers are usuallyflanged to efiect a secure and sightly roller end. and these end capsare ordinarily permanently secured within the roller, thus rendering itadditionally difficult to shorten a roller after it leaves the factory.This entails the making up of rollers in the factory of various lengthsto be kept in stock or in particular lengths to meet the requirements ofthe customer as to length. Thedisadvantage of this construction reachesto the provision of different lengths of axles where the same extendsthroughout the length of the roller and projects fromeach end to formtrunr nions for engagement with the'hanging brackets. Furthermore,wooden rollers have the shades readily attached thereto by means oftacks or clips whereas the attachmentof the shade to a metal rollerencounters difficulty, which has been met, by various expedients,notably that provided in patents of the prior art where a lock seam ofthe metal forms a channel having a constricted slit-like opening alongone side, the hem of the shade being positioned within the channel fromone end and thus interlocked directly with the roller by means of thehem alone or supplemented by a rod inserted within the hem. Theinsertion of the hem and rod within the channel has presupposed an openend to the channel. WVhere a flanged cap is employed however the openend of the channel is thereby closed and it is difficult if notimpossible to remove or renew the shade as the end caps have beenassembled with the roller.

According to our invention provision is made for the manufacture ofthese lookseamed roller barrels in quantities which can be shortened toany desired length without, difficulty; and the provision of an axle ofuniform length for all lengths of rollers, the axles being of lesslength than the roller and one of the trunnions beingprovided in theclosure cap; also for positioning the hem of the shade within thechannelof the lock seam after the end cap is associated with the roller barrel,either permanently or removably; also improved means for permanentlyassociating the end caps with the barrel without brazing or soldering;also the provision of a journal bearing for the axle within the rollerto eliminate noise due to contact of metal with metal; together withother advantageous constructional features.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 5 of the drawing it will be observed that inthis embodiment the roller barrel 11 has associated therewith end caps12 comprising a cylindrical boss-like portion13 and a flange 14. Theboss 13 has one or more radial apertures 15 underlying the metal of thebarrel adjacent its ends and into these apertures 15 the metal of thebarrel is upset as at 16 by. a

prick punch or the like, whereby the barrel and end caps are heldsecurely in assembled relation. The axle 17 in this instance is shown asextending throughout the length of the roller and projecting beyond theend caps to form a polygonal trunnion 18 and a round trunnion 19 forengagement with the usual brackets; although obviously that form of axleshown in the other figures of the drawing may be employed in connectionwith the barrel and cap assembly of the figures under discussion. Thebarrel 11, as

more clearly seen in Fig. 5, is provided with a loelnseam at and isinteriorly depressed as at 21 to form a longitudinal channel 22 withinwhich engages the hem 23 of the shade 24 while a rod 25 may be insertedwithin the hem for the purpose of expanding thesame to prevent its beingdrawn out of the channel 22 through the side slit 26. The shade with itshem and the expanding rod forming no part of the invention in dicated indotted merely forthe purpose of clarity in the description. The ends ofthe channel 22 being closed by the flanges 14 oi? the end caps it wouldbe impossible to remove the shade from the roller or insert a new shadefrom the channel ends. To rovide for this contingency the walls of thechannel and lock seam are cut by a transverse slitat 27 and outwardlybeyond the slit are compacted as indicated at 28 in Fig. 2 whereby thechannel is provided with an open end at the slit through which the hemof the shade and its expanding member, where used, may be fed into thechannel in the direction indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 2. Theseamed wall of the channel may then be bent inwardly as indicated indotted lines at 29 to prevent the shade working out of the channel inuse although this is not necessary. It will thus be seen that the endcapsformno obstruction to the placing in position of a shade whereby therollers may be made up complete with the caps assembled and shades maythereafter be affixed suited to the requirements of the particularsurroundings where the shade is to be employed.

Having particular reference now to the embodiment of the invention shownin Figs.

3 and 4, the barrel isprecisely thesame as in the instance previouslydescribed, having the lock seam providing a channel for the receptionand retention of the shade hem. However the cross-cut 27 is omitted forthe reason that the cylindrical portion 310i the end cap 32 has asnug-frictional engagement within the open end ofthe barrel and the capflange33 closes the open end of the lock seam channel. For the insertionor removal of the shade hem it is only necessary to slip the end cap outof the barrel end andfto re place the same after the attachment of theshade. n V

In this form of construction one of the trunnions 34- is carried by theend cap 32 and the axle terminates short of that end of thebarrel. Theend otthe axle 3 5 is journalled within an interiorly disposed bung ofcomposite character ill that it is composed of a metallic disk 36 and anon-metallic disk 37 secured together .side by side. This bung isprovided in its periphery with a notch at 40 which engages with thenotch rib 21 formed by the inner wall of the channel 22 whereby'the bungand barrel are connected sui'roun din against angular movement whilepermitting of the sliding of the bung into position with in the barrellongitudinally. The inner end otthe axle 35' is journalled within acentral aperture of the non-metallic disk 37 while the metallic disk 36has a central opening g the axle but out of contact therewith. A.torsion spring 41 surrounds the axle 85. and is itself surrounded by afabric sleeve 42 preventing contact between the spring and the metal ofthe barrel. One end of the spring 41 is anchored to the axle at 43 whilethe other end at 4: 1 transiixes the two disks 36 and 37 forming thebung.

The composite bung 363T may also be employed in connection with theshaft 17 extending the fulllength of the roller as previously describedin connection with Figs. if and 2, its principal advantage in such casebeing theready assemblage of the spring and axle previous to theirinsertion into the barrel as distinguished from earlier cm.=-1t1.'uetions in which one end of the spring was anchored directly tothe barrel or cap instead of indirectly to the barrel through the bung.

The particular species of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 iscovered in my divisional application Serial No. 123,859, filed July 21,1926.

lVe claim:

1. In a shade roller, a metal barrel provided along one wall with alongitudinal channel having a constricted side opening for the receptionand retention of a shade. margin of greater thickness than the adjoiningportion of the shade, and caps closing the open ends of the. barrel, theshade retaining channel having an axially open end disposed at a shortdistance inwardly fromone end cap, whereby to permit the insertion ofthe shade margin into the channel Without removing the end cap.

2. In a shade roller, a metal barrel provided exteriorly thereof with alongitudinal channel having a constricted opening along one of the sidewalls thereof for the reception. and retention of a shade margin ofgreater thickness thanthe adjoining portion of the shade,and capsclosing the open ends of the barrel, the walls of the said retainingchannel being cross-cut adjacent one end of the roller and compactedbetween the cross-cut. and such end to close the opening in the channelwhereby to permit the insertion oi the shade margin into the channelwithout removing the end cap.

3. In a shade roller, a metal barrel having a lock sea-m forming anexterior channel with a constricted slot along one of the side wallsthereof for the reception and retention of a shade hem having anexpanding member therein, and end caps closing the open ends of thebarrel, the walls of'the seam being cross-cut at a point inwardly fromone end too of the roller and compacted between the cross-cut and suchend to close the channel, whereby to permit the insertion of the hem andexpanding member into the channel without removing the end cap.

4. In a shade roller. a metal barrel having an interior longitudinalrib, a bung within the barrel intermediate its ends and provided with aperipheral notch slidably engaging the rib, an axle disposed longitudinally within the barrel and journalled in the hung, a torsion springhaving one end anchored to the axle and the other to the bung, the bungcomprising metallic and non-metallic portions secured together side byside and centrally apertured to receive the axle, the metallic portionbeing engaged by the spring and notched to interlock with the rib on thebarrel, and the aperture in the metallic portion being suiiicientlylarge to confine the bearing contact of the axle to the non-metallicportion.

5. In a shade roller, a hollow metal barrel having a longitudinallyextending seam within the same, an axle disposed longitudinally withinthe barrel, and an end cap in the form of a single sheet metal stampinghaving a cylindrical portion seated within the barrel end, saidcylindrical portion being longitudinally grooved to receive andinterlock laterally with the seam in the barrel, the inner end of thecylindrical portion of the cap'being closed except for a centralaperture for the reception of the axle, and the outer end of thecylindrical portion being open to form a recess in the cap and beingradially flanged for abutment with the barrel end.

6. In a shade roller, a sheet metal barrel having a longitudinallyextending lock steam in which is formed a constricted slot along thebarrel for the receptionand retention of a shade margin of greaterthickness than the adjoining portion of the shade, and caps for closingthe open ends of the barrel, the outer wall of the slot in the lock seambeing interrupted at a point spaced inwardly from one end of the barrel,whereby to permit the shade margin to be inserted into the slot throughthe interruption in the wall'witlr out removing the end cap.

7. In a shade roller, a sheet metal barrel having a longitudinallyextending lock seam in which is formed a constricted slot along thebarrel for the reception and retention of a shade margin of greaterthickness than the adjoining portion of the shade, and caps for closingthe open ends of the barrel, the outer wall of the slot in the lock seambe ing interrupted at a point spaced inwardly from one end of the barrela distance not to exceed the distance desired between the edge of theshade and the end of the barrel, whereby to permit the shade margin tobe inserted into the slot through the interruption in the wall withoutremoving the end cap.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

THOMAS W. HOLT. JOHN LEVAN.

